The Piano (Dark Souls Short Story 19)
by MrsLittletall
Summary: Ornstein discovers an old piano and tries to get into playing it again. Relationship: Dragon Slayer Ornstein/Executioner Smough


(Author's note: This piece is strongly inspired by the headcanon of dark souls artist barasbu, that Ornstein likes to play the piano.)

Ornstein was on his patrol around the unused guest rooms when he encountered the piano.

A part of him just wondered why it had been put in a guest room. Another part of him felt the urge to actually sit down and play it. He had played the piano quite often back at the orphanage (a gift from the founder of the orphanage who Ornstein was named after).

But that had been quite a few years ago. He didn't had time for such nonsense. Ornstein left the room and continued his patrol.

But the piano didn't leave his mind, not during the patrol, not during dinner. After he had finished eating, he didn't go to his room, but instead made his way back to the room with the piano in it.

Once in the room, he just stared at it. It seemed to be kept in top shape, he couldn't see any dust on it. Ornstein took a few steps closer and opened the wooden lid to admire the ebony and ivory keys. He took a seat on the chair in front of it. He pulled his gauntlets off, cracked his fingers and gently pressed some keys. He was satisfied to hear a clear, nice tone. But what should he play? It had been so long...

Luckily someone had put some sheet music on top of the piano and Ornstein decided to take a look. He recognized a few of the songs. One was a song of a city of the night, one was a song for the beginning of a long journey, one was a song for unspoken words, one was a song for mischievous jesters and one was a song about the melody of water, which made Ornstein's face go pale when he looked at the pace and complexity of the song. The last sheet music he looked at, was the song of the royal family.

That was it. It was a somber piano piece consisting of mostly three notes as a leitmotif and Ornstein was sure he should be able to handle the pace. He put the sheet music on and started to play the song.

….and failed horribly. It had been some time and he underestimated how rusty he had become. He tried to play the song a few more times before giving up. First, he had to remember which key would play which note. Ornstein stood up, closed the lid of the piano, gathered his gauntlets and went back to his room.

The next day Ornstein overheard a conversation of the silver knights.

"You know that guest room with the piano in it?", the first one asked.

"Yes, what is with it?", answered the second one.

"Someone played it yesterday evening. But like... super bad. I couldn't even make out the song they were trying."

Ouch, that burned... Ornstein didn't expect to have listeners and he would surely not tell his silver knights that he had been the awful piano player. But some determination in him sparked to life. This evening he returned to the piano. He would practice and he would start with determining which key would play which note.

The next day, Ornstein made sure to overhear the conversation of the same silver knights again.

"The mysterious piano player was at it again."

"And, have they gotten better?"

"They were practicing how to play actually. I wonder if they have heard what I said?"

"Do you think the mysterious piano player is one of us?"

"I don't know. They wouldn't have to keep it secret though. Oh well, maybe they were ashamed because of how bad they played."

The two silver knights chuckled and went off to their duties. Once dinner time came, the rumour had spread and a large portion of the silver knights would discuss the identity of the mysterious piano player.

Ornstein was sure that pretty much no one would assume them to be their captain, so he returned to the piano room the third evening in a row. He remembered how to play the notes now and he would practice the piece he had picked out. After the evening had passed and Ornstein grew too tired to continue, he had improved but he wasn't back at his former skills. He made a mental note to come back the next day.

Ornstein continued practicing like this the next three days and got closer and closer back to his former skills. Meanwhile, the silver knights were running wild with theories about the mysterious piano player. Ornstein couldn't help but grin under his helmet, they would never guess who the real identity of them was. He was thinking about eventually telling them. But first he had to practice one last time.

This evening should be the one where he managed to get back to his former skills. Ornstein sat down in front of the piano, put up the sheet notes and started playing. His fingers dancing across the piano keys, the only thing he felt was his movement and the music. He had forgotten how relaxing and good it felt to play the piano. After roughly four minutes he hit the last note and pulled his hands away from the keys, satisfied. That was, when the door suddenly bursted and a bunch of silver knights rolled into the room. Ornstein got so startled that he slammed his hands in the keys, creating a loud sound. He heard a few voices calling at once:

"Captain?"

"Ornstein?"

Ornstein stood up, walked over to the busted door and tapped with his foot. "Artorias, silver knights, what do you have to say in your defense?", he asked.

Artorias got up and dusted off his armour. "Sorry Ornstein, it's just... we were completely amazed by your song and all our weights were too much for the door..." Artorias fidgeted with his hands. "We didn't even know it was you who was playing. I am completely baffled actually, I didn't know you could play the piano." Some of the silver knights nodded in agreement to Artorias words.

"Well, I haven't played in a long while and I never told you.", Ornstein said. "Surprise, the mysterious piano player has been me all along. I actually wanted to tell you all, but now you ruined the surprise."

"Sorry, Ornstein...", Artorias looked down on the floor, clearly ashamed.

"Silver knights, go back to your duties. And send someone over who can fix the door.", Ornstein ordered and the silver knights quickly got on their way. Artorias stayed.

"You could have told me that you play an instrument, I would have liked to accompany you.", he said.

"Do you play an instrument too?"

"I like to sing."

"You never told me that you can sing."

"Like you never told me that you can play the piano."

"Touché..."

"Just ask me and Ciaran to accompany you the next time. She on the violin, you on the piano and me singing, that will be great."

Ornstein smiled: "Will do."

Ornstein had been on his way searching for something to clean when he encountered the piano again. He stopped dead in his tracks. It had been so long ago, but he remembered very clearly how he first found it and spent a week to practice how to play again.

He took a few steps closer, putting the bucket on the floor, rag in his hands. A part of him never knew why Smough insisted on cleaning all the rooms in the cathedral, even the ones they never used, but another part knew that it was to keep him occupied and spare him the bad thoughts.

Ornstein dipped the rag in the bucket. The piano was covered with a thick layer of dust. He carefully removed it and after he was satisfied with his work, he dried his hands on his apron and took a seat on the chair in front of the piano. For a short moment it occurred to him how ridiculous he must have looked, with the apron and and the head scarf Smough had made him wear to protect his hair from getting dirty while cleaning. But then he picked up the sheet music that still was there, after all this year. He quickly found the song he wanted to play, the song of the royal family.

Ornstein took a deep breath, stretched his fingers and pressed the first keys only to be hit by a horrible sound. Right, nobody maintained this thing anymore. It was completely untuned. Ornstein remembered that a tuning fork normally was kept near the piano. He found it and got to work. After he was finished, he took his seat again and started playing. He made a few mistakes, but not nearly as bad as the first time he had tried to play again after a long absence. He was in the middle of playing the song a second time, when he heard Smough's voice from the door.

"Kitten? I didn't knew you could play the piano.", he said.

Ornstein stopped mid song: "Well, I have never told you."

"This sounded pretty nice. Can you play again? I would like to listen.", Smough requested.

Ornstein shot him a tiny smile. "Alright, I wanted to practice a bit anyway. Take a seat."

Smough came fully into the room and sat down on the bed.

"Enjoy the song of the royal family.", Ornstein said and started to play from the beginning. His fingers were dancing across the keys like they used to and Ornstein awaited to enter the special state of relaxation and euphoria when playing music, instead, he could feel tears well up in his eyes, which soon started to drop on the discoloured piano keys. He smashed his right hand into the keys, the left was resting on his forehead. Smough was at his side in a brief moment.

"Kitten, what's wrong?", he wanted to know.

"They... they would always be here... and listen...", he sniffed. "Or accompany me..." The tears flowed freely down his face now. "But... they are not here anymore. Nobody is here anymore to listen. They are all... gone!"

"I am here to listen.", Smough reassured Ornstein, but it was too late. The knight just cuddled in his boyfriend's big chest, crying of the pain. Smough rubbed comforting circles in his back.

"It has been too much for you.", he said. "Let me get you into our room, you need to calm down." The executioner picked Ornstein up, who held on to him as if his life was depending on it.

"I really liked to hear you play, though. I hope you will play for me again."

(Author's note: I snuck in some video game music at the sheet music that Ornstein looked at. Feel free to guess which songs these are. A hint, they are all J-RPGs and pretty much piano centric pieces.)


End file.
